Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot
BWV 39 performed by the Netherlands Bach Society
conducted by Shunske Sato
Grote Kerk, Naarden
Behind the music
Story
Story
Texts
Texts
Credits
Credits
Sharing yields more than it costs
This cantata makes a moral appeal to the faithful
Poverty has been around for as long as mankind. And as long as there are people, poverty can inspire fear. The libretto of this cantata, probably written by Bach’s distant cousin Johann Ludwig, makes a moral appeal to us: ‘do not turn your back on your neighbour’ – formulated even more vividly in Maarten Luther’s Bible as ‘your own flesh and blood’ – but feed the poor and care for the homeless.
The undoubted highlight of the cantata is the spectacular opening chorus, with no fewer than three different time signatures and an exceptionally long text that comes directly from the Bible: “Break your bread for the hungry, and lead the poor who have no shelter into your house.” This biblical command has been followed by churches through the ages, by feeding the poor and by offering shelter to those with nowhere else to go, known as ‘sanctuary’.
The first bars of the opening chorus have led to heated discussion, particularly with regard to the expressive idiom Bach is supposed to have used here. A rhythmic motif of two short notes is passed around between the recorders, oboes and strings. While some interpret this as the breaking of the bread from the text, others hear the stepping rhythm as the heavy tread of a hungry crowd. In any case, Bach seems to be playing here with the idea of sharing; ‘breaking up’ the melody line into smaller fragments, of which each instrument group receives a small piece. It is especially beautiful how that sharing also produces a special timbre; sharing your meal yields more than it costs you.
The rest of the cantata has a two-part structure, like so many cantatas from Meiningen, where Johann Ludwig worked. The first part begins with a text from the Old Testament, and the second with one from the New Testament, which forms the heart of the cantata. The sermon would have taken place in the middle of the cantata. Arias for alto, bass and soprano, in that order, bring the theme closer to the listener. The slim soprano aria ‘Höchster, was ich habe’ is almost a duet, as the recorder part is so wonderfully prominent. While the soprano sings of God’s benevolence, the recorder part cascades around her, seeming to inspire her, just as the Holy Spirit inspires the faithful to beneficence.
- BWV
- 39
- Title
- Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot
- Genre
- cantatas
- Year
- 1726
- City
- Leipzig
- Lyricist
- Ernst Ludwig I von Sachsen-Meiningen
- Occasion
- The first Sunday after Trinity (Trinity Sunday)
- First performance
- 23 June 1726
In loving memory of
Barbara Wolff
Extra videos
Vocal texts
Original
1. Chor
Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot,
und die, so im Elend sind, führe ins Haus.
So du einen nacket siehest, so kleide ihn
und entzeuch dich nicht von deinem Fleisch.
Alsdenn wird dein Licht
herfürbrechen wie die Morgenröte,
und deine Besserung wird schnell wachsen,
und deine Gerechtigkeit wird für dir hergehen,
und die Herrlichkeit des Herrn
wird dich zu sich nehmen.
2. Rezitativ (Bass)
Der reiche Gott wirft seinen Überfluß
auf uns, die wir ohn ihn
auch nicht den Odem haben.
Sein ist es, was wir sind;
er gibt nur den Genuß,
doch nicht, daß uns allein
nur seine Schätze laben.
Sie sind der Probestein,
wodurch er macht bekannt,
daß er der Armut auch die Notdurft
ausgespendet, als er mit milder Hand,
was jener nötig ist, uns reichlich zugewendet.
Wir sollen ihm für sein gelehntes Gut
die Zinse nicht in seine Scheuren bringen;
Barmherzigkeit, die auf dem Nächsten ruht,
kann mehr als alle Gab
ihm an das Herze dringen.
3. Arie (Alt)
Seinem Schöpfer noch auf Erden
nur im Schatten ähnlich werden,
ist im Vorschmack selig sein.
Sein Erbarmen nachzuahmen,
streuet hier des Segens Samen,
den wir dorten bringen ein.
4. Arie (Bass)
Wohlzutun und mitzuteilen vergesset nicht;
denn solche Opfer gefallen Gott wohl.
5. Arie (Sopran)
Höchster, was ich habe,
ist nur deine Gabe.
Wenn vor deinem Angesicht
ich schon mit dem deinen
dankbar wollt erscheinen,
willt du doch kein Opfer nicht.
6. Rezitativ (Alt)
Wie soll ich dir, o Herr! denn sattsamlich vergelten,
was du an Leib und Seel mir hast zugut getan?
Ja, was ich noch empfang,
und solches gar nicht selten,
weil ich mich jede Stund noch deiner rühmen kann?
Ich hab nichts als den Geist, dir eigen zu ergeben,
dem Nächsten die Begierd,
daß ich ihm dienstbar werd,
der Armut, was du mir gegönnt in diesem Leben,
und, wenn es dir gefällt,
den schwachen Leib der Erd.
Ich bringe, was ich kann, Herr, laß es dir behagen,
daß ich, was du versprichst,
auch einst davon mög tragen.
7. Choral
Selig sind, die aus Erbarmen
sich annehmen fremder Not,
sind mitleidig mit den Armen,
bitten treulich für sie Gott.
Die behülflich sind mit Rat,
auch, wo möglich, mit der Tat,
werden wieder Hülf empfangen
und Barmherzigkeit erlangen.
Translation
1. Chorus
Break your bread with the hungry,
and lead those who are in misery/exile into your home.
If you see someone naked, clothe him,
and do not draw back from [helping those who are of] your own flesh. Then your light
will break forth like the dawn,
and your health will quickly prosper,
and your righteousness will precede you,
and the glory of the Lord
will take you in.
2. Recitative (Bass)
The bountiful God casts his abundance upon us,
We who without him
do not even have breath.
What we are is his;
he gives only the enjoyment [of his bounty],
But not such that his treasures
refresh only us alone.
They are the touchstone
by which he makes known
That he also provides for poverty’s dire need,
As with his generous hand
He bountifully bestows on us what each requires.
For his lent good we should not
Bring him interest into his storehouse;
Mercy that bears on one’s neighbor
Can touch his heart more
than any gift.
3. Aria (Alto)
To become, still on earth, akin to his Creator
Merely by shadow/prefigurement
Is, by foretaste, to be [eternally] blessed.
To imitate his mercy
Sows the seeds of blessing here [on earth]
That we will reap there [in eternity].
4. Aria (Bass)
Do not forget to do good and to share;
for such offerings are well-pleasing to God.
5. Aria (Soprano)
Most High, what I have
Is entirely your gift [to me].
If I would desire to appear, thankful, before your face
With [a sacrifice to bring of]
What is [in truth] already yours,
You will, however, not desire any offering [of any kind].
6. Recitative (Alto)
How shall I sufficiently repay you then, O Lord, for what you have done, to the benefit of my body and soul,
Indeed, for what I still receive,
and such things not at all infrequently,
In that at every hour I can still boast of you?
I have nothing of my own except my spirit to offer you;
To my neighbor, [I offer] my eagerness
that I may be ready to serve him;
To poverty, that which you have granted me in this life;
And to the earth, if it pleases you,
my weak body.
I bring what I can, Lord; let it gratify you,
So that I may someday yield
that which you promised.
7. Choral
Blessed are they who out of mercy
Take on the distress of the stranger,
Are compassionate with the poor,
Faithfully pray to God for them.
They who are helpful in word,
And, when possible, in deed,
Will in turn receive help
And obtain mercy.
transl. © Daniel R. Melamed and Michael Marissen
For the annotated version of the text and translation, see here.
Credits
-
- Release date
- 5 June 2025
-
- Recording date
- 30 May 2023
-
- Location
- Grote Kerk, Naarden
-
- Violin and direction
- Shunske Sato
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- Soprano
- Griet De Geyter
-
- Alto
- Franz Vitzthum
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- Bass
- Felix Schwandtke
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- Ripieno soprano
- Marta Paklar, Amelia Berridge
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- Ripieno alto
- Sofia Gvirts, Bernadett Nagy
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- Ripieno tenor
- João Moreira, Guy Cutting, Immo Schröder
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- Ripieno bass
- Matthew Baker, Donald Bentvelsen
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- Violin 1
- Lidewij van der Voort, Kano Imada, Mayumi Sargent Harada
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- Violin 2
- Lucia Giraudo, Alyssa Wright, Andrew Wong
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- Viola
- Anneke van Haaften, Esther van der Eijk
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- Cello
- Lucia Swarts, Anne-Linde Visser
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- Double bass
- Robert Franenberg
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- Recorder
- Benny Aghassi, Hannah Voß
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- Oboe
- Rodrigo Lopez Paz, Katharina Verhaar
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- Bassoon
- Benny Aghassi
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- Organ
- Bart Naessens
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- Harpsichord
- Siebe Henstra
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- Director and editor
- Bas Wielenga
-
- Music recording
- Guido Tichelman, Pim van der Lee, Ernst Coutinho
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- Music edit and mix
- Guido Tichelman
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- Camera
- Martin Struijf, Bjorn Tiebout, Tom de Beer, Jesper Blok, Jamai Koelewijn
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- Lights
- Ernst-Jan Thieme
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- Grip
- Jordi Kooij, Joey Marcoux
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- Assistant director
- Ferenc Soeteman
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- Set technique
- Justin Mutsaers
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- Data handling
- Ruben Kuyl
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- Project manager nep
- Ron Vermeulen
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- Assistant music recording
- Marloes Biermans
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- Producer concert
- Imke Deters
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- Producer film
- Wietske Hovingh
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- In loving memory of
- Barbara Wolff
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